DTE Energy weighs offers on Marysville Power Plant

Mar. 18, 2013

DTE Energy has received about 20 proposals from prospective developers for the Marysville Power Plant site at 301 Gratiot Blvd. DTE will continue to narrow down possible developers for the site during the coming months. / TIMES HERALD

Written by

Beth LeBlanc

Times Herald (Port Huron)

Bob Thibert looked at the peeling paint on the dusty walls and the pools of water on the tiled floor of the Detroit Edison Marysville Power Plant.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the factory windows and illuminated turbines and generators from the 1920s, while the power plant operator spoke of his time at the plant.

“It’s kind of sad in a way to see it go,” Thibert said. “This was a model plant for the company at the time.”

DTE Energy has received more than 20 proposals for the historic plant at 301 Gratiot Blvd., said Randy Fernandez, assistant city manager and community development director for Marysville.

The proposals are for the demolition, clean up and development of the site.

Ron Chriss, DTE Energy regional manager for Macomb County and the Thumb, said the company has narrowed down the proposals to about seven developers.

Those seven developers will send their offers to DTE by March 27.

“We will then take a look at their responses and make a determination around the second week of April,” Chriss said.

DTE is requesting a performance bond, insurance and financial information from the potential developers.

Chriss said the names of the developers are not being released at this time.

Once DTE receives the final offers from those seven developers, the company will rank the top three offers and begin negotiations.

“They’ll review it over the next two or three months and hopefully late summer, early fall the city should hear something about who’s taking over the land,” Fernandez said.

The property was recently rezoned from industrial to planned unit development, which opens it up to more development opportunities and allows the city a little more say regarding what’s built, Fernandez said.

“We’re hoping it fits in with our master plan or vision for the city of Marysville,” he said. “The project will go a lot better for everyone if the developer and city of Marysville are in sync.”

The power plant was built in 1921, and ran until it was shut down in 2001, Jones said. The plant employed about a hundred people at any given time and generated about 180 megawatts of electricity, Thibert said.

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Chriss said DTE began sending out requests for proposals for demolition and development in 2012.

John Bambusch has lived just north of the plant for about 10 years.

“It’ll be kind of sad to see it go,” he said. “It is in its own way a beautiful building ... it’s just outlived its usefulness.”

Bambusch said he’s not worried about prospective buyers for the property.

“We’ve just taken the opinion here that we’ll just wait and see what happens,” he said. “The city will ultimately protect our interests.

“And one thing is that Detroit Edison — they are extremely socially responsible.”

Bambusch is optimistic about the future, but it’s not easy to part with the brick edifice down the street.

“It’s kind of a grand old building,” he said. “I’d love to tour it before they tear it down, that’s for sure.”

With no heat, puddles of water and dust and no lighting, public tours of the building would be close to impossible, said Scott Jones, operation maintenance supervisor for demolition and decommissioning.

In the past months, Jones has been responsible for shutting down the electricity, water and gas to the plant.

He’s been working for DTE for about 34 years, but was transferred from the St. Clair plant to the Marysville location last year.

“A lot of families were fed and schooled through this place,” Jones said. “But there are lives to buildings, and this one’s been around for a while.”